The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Boston area decreased by 0.3 percent over the two months ending in July 2025, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Acting Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi stated that prices for all items less food and energy fell by 0.4 percent during this period. The data presented are not seasonally adjusted, which means that bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal patterns.
Over the past year, the all items CPI-U for Boston rose by 3.2 percent. The index for all items excluding food and energy increased by 3.5 percent in the same period. Food prices went up by 3.3 percent, while energy prices dropped by 0.8 percent.
During the two-month period ending in July, food prices remained steady overall. Prices for eating out increased by 0.4 percent, whereas grocery store purchases declined by 0.3 percent.
On an annual basis, food prices rose by 3.3 percent; restaurant and cafeteria prices increased by 6.9 percent, and grocery store prices went up by 0.5 percent.
The energy index rose by 0.9 percent over the two-month pricing period, with gasoline prices climbing by 2.9 percent.
From July 2024 to July 2025, however, the energy index was down by 0.8 percent and gasoline prices fell sharply by 11.8 percent.
For all items less food and energy, there was a decline of 0.4 percent during the latest two months measured. Shelter costs dropped by 0.8 percent overall despite increases in owners’ equivalent rent (+1.5 percent) and rent of primary residence (+1.0 percent), as lodging away from home became cheaper. Apparel prices fell significantly—by 4.5 percent—while recreation (+1.5 percent) and personal care saw price increases.
Over twelve months, the index for all items less food and energy climbed by 3.5 percent, including a notable rise in shelter costs (+4.9%), driven largely by owners’ equivalent rent (+5.7%) and rent of primary residence (+5.2%). Tuition, other school fees, and childcare also experienced a rise of five percent.
The next release of Consumer Price Index data for September is scheduled for October 15, 2025 at 8:30 a.m., Eastern Time.
The Consumer Price Index measures average price changes over time using a fixed basket of goods and services; it is published every two months for Boston’s metropolitan area but covers fewer components than national averages due to smaller sample sizes in local areas (https://www.bls.gov/cpi/). As a result, these local indexes can be more volatile than regional or national figures and are not adjusted for seasonal influences.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton metropolitan area includes Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties in Massachusetts as well as Rockingham and Strafford counties in New Hampshire.
Further information on technical aspects can be found via the national CPI news release technical note or Handbook of Methods (https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cpi/).
“Acting Regional Commissioner Mark J. Maggi noted that prices for all items less food and energy decreased 0.4 percent.”
